We are often asked for examples of great presentations and speeches.
Who’d be a political speechwriter? The small group of David Cameron’s advisors who crafted his speech at the 2013 Conservative Party Conference must have felt relieved. Their boss delivered their words, receiving a reasonably positive reaction.
Writing the PM’s party conference speech must be a labour-intensive challenge. It requires the identification of themes and ideas, development of catchy soundbites and finding the right words to suit the PM. You then have to turn them into a coherent, memorable and rousing speech. This is after all, usually the most powerful speech delivered by the most powerful person in the country.
So what can business leaders and others learn from Cameron’s speech? We look at 12 techniques, used by Cameron and his team, that you can use when delivering your next presentation.
Lesson 1: Format and preparation
David Cameron followed the usual political speech format – a few jokes to warm up the audience, an attack on the opposition and then a strong summary of Tory policy, followed by a rousing call to action. It’s a logical development that is easily followed and works for most speeches.
Lesson 2: Key messages and memorable soundbites
He also identifies a key message and a memorable soundbite – again something that every speech or presentation should contain. In this case it’s “land of opportunity” Cameron repeats it regularly and the media, duly briefed, have picked up on it.
Lesson 3: Make it relevant
He goes on to address the issues that are in the audience’s minds at the moment - seeking to turn a negative in a positive. “Profit, wealth-creation, tax cuts, enterprise — these are not dirty, elitist words. They are not the problem. They really are the solution, because it’s not government that creates jobs, it’s businesses’”.
Lesson 4: Contrasts
Cameron uses a number of contrasts to differentiate himself from the opposition. This kind of contrast between words or ideas is a great way to make a point. He uses contrast again later: “I didn’t come into politics just to fix what went wrong, but to build something right”.
Lesson 5: Repetition
Repetition in a speech is a great rhetorical device that helps drive home a message aswell as giving the sentences an appealing rhythm. “What matters is the effort you put in and if you put in the effort you’ll have the chance to make it”, Cameron says. In another example, when talking about defence he argues: “This is not about national vanity, this is about our national interest”.
Lesson 6: Conviction and energy
To add even more conviction and energy to his speech, Cameron uses both contrast and repetition together. “In place of the casino economy, one where people who work hard can actually get on. In place of the welfare society, one where no individual is written off. In place of the broken education system, one that gives every child the chance to rise up and succeed” he says. Notice here that favourite device, the power of three. “I came, I saw, I conquered” and “Blood, sweat and tears” being other examples.
Lesson 7: Short sentences – urgency and theatre
Another writing style that adds energy, urgency and a sense of theatre is the use of short sentences. Take his references to his predecessor, Margaret Thatcher. “Giving power to our people. Spreading home ownership. Creating work. Winning the Cold War. Saving the Falklands. An amazing record”.
Lesson 8: Varying pace
Short sentences would get pretty wearing on their own and so very sensibly, the Cameron speechwriters introduced a contrasting style. Varying the pace and tone of a speech is essential to keep the audience’s attention. So, he uses gentle, self-depreciating humour: “If you saw those pictures of me on the beach, you’ll know I’ve got the stomach for the fight. And Ed Miliband has said he will never take his shirt off in public. So Ed, here’s the deal: you keep your shirt on, I’ll keep the lights on”. Notice how he uses the joke to make a point, in this case about energy pricing policy.
Lesson 9: Humour
Later, on foreign policy - he jokes that not only did Britain beat Russia in the 2012 Olympic medal tally, but the biggest selling vodka brand is made in the UK. It might not be side-splitting humour, but it’s a contrast to the more powerful lines and let’s face it, it’s not as if he’s doing a stand-up routine at a comedy club. Getting the audience on your side and then joking about common experiences or poking fun at a common enemy is essential when adding humour to a speech.
Lesson 10: Ditch the jargon – be relatable
Referring to the economy, the Prime Minister talks about what “puts food on the table”. As well as using simple, everyday words it’s a very visual image that everyone can relate to. This isn’t the time for high falutin’ economic jargon.
Lesson 11: Case studies
Later, he says: “I met a couple on Sunday, Emily and James. They’d both had decent jobs, but because they didn’t have rich parents, they couldn’t get a big enough deposit to buy a house”. Politicians are finally understanding that references to human beings – real people - are what the audience relates to most. Corporate speakers need to bear this in mind too. Talking about individual members of staff, clients, telling stories – all these things work well in presentations.
Lesson 12: Image: Consider your personal brand
Words aside - manner and image are very important. Cameron has chosen a dark navy suit, a cream (not white) shirt and a pale blue tie. Hand gestures are also very important for senior politicians, just as they are for senior business leaders. Margaret Thatcher started with (rather bizarrely), a wrestler’s overhead hand grasp until her advisor, Sir Gordon Reece persuaded her to wave politely at certain sections of the audience. Tony Blair had a habit of pointing, which looked aggressive. Instead he was advised to make a gentle fist with a prominent thumb. David Cameron goes for open hand gestures which are not aggressive but instead have an inclusive feel.
Whether this speech will help to put Cameron and the Tories ahead in the polls long-term remains to be seen. Either way, as with other prominent figures, an analysis of his speech can be interesting and useful to those looking to give effective speeches and presentations.
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